The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-07-15
WOMAN'S DEPARTMENT.
WOMEN At WORK.


The census of 1880 gives the number
Of women and girls working ut gain
full occupations as 2.647,l57. OF
these women 534. 900 are agricultural
laborers, 526.834 being employed In
the old slave States. working in cotton
and rice fields; and ON corn, tobacco.
rice and cane plantations. These agri-
cultural laborers in the South are all
colored women. and besides them there
are 62,648 colored women working
in cotton factories, sorghum mills, to-
bacco curing, and manufacturing es-
adjustments and in all stores, ware
houses and yards in the South where
heavy manual labor is needed.
To the American, a glance at these
dusky thousands suggests many
thoughts and many hard problem.
In the North there are 5.OG6 women
employed rs agricultural laborers
working in fields AMI gardens at
farming, beekceping. dairy work.
fruit and berry raising. and vineyards
and hopyards.
There are 1OS, 1893 laundresscs. and
as before stated, 938, $40 domestic serv-
ants. The cotton. silk and wooden
mills employ 152, 263 women. Boot
and shoe factories, 2l,OO7. Clerks,
salcswomen and accountants in stores
number 1881. Dressmakers and
millincrs are given as numbering S34.
.O26. Under this head doubtless many
plain sewing women are counted.
In a great many branches of manu-
featuring women are employed in
large numbers. Thousands work in
establishments for making agricultural
implements; in book binderies and
printing offices. Thousands work for
carpet-makers, cigar-makers. clock
and watch-makers, confectioners, cor
set makers, glove-makers. gold and
silver workers. harness and saddle
makers, hat and cap makers, straw
workers, and so on in all the trades
and occupations.
Women are at work by thousands as
book-keepers and accountants, and as
operators in telegraph and telephone
Offices. Women are acting rs COM
mercial travellers, and rs book agents
as commercial brokers, bankers. rail.
way officials and employees, packers,
manufacturers and officials of manu-
featuring companies. There are H..
465 commercial dealers and traders.
1924 nurses. $4,000 boarding house
keepers, and 2,l36 hotel-keepcrs.
Women are architects, chemists. assay.
ers, dentists. designers. draughtsmen,
engravers and inventors. One thou.
sand six hundred and fifteen are EN-.
ployers of charitable institutions. 2SS
are professional journalists, 800 are
authors, 2.061 are artists and teachers
of art, 1920 are actresses, and Is. Is:
are professional musicians or teachers
of music, 5,194 are Government clerks
and 2,171 are officers of the Govern
ment There are 2,432 women physi
clans and surgeons. IS lawyers, and
los ministers of religion, PIG stock
raisers. and Sc. 500 free and independ
ent farmers and planters.
There are 154,375 women teachers
5000 more women being engaged in
teaching than men.
1t is useless to continue the catalogue
of trades, manufactures, industries anG
professions in which women are find
ing a means of livelihood. The gate:
are wide open, and any work that any
individual woman thinks herself capa
BILE of. she is at liberty to try anu
prove !. success or failure at it. ever
rs men are trying themselves contin
ually, and thus proving their power OF
limitations.
This great change in the outlook anG
opportunities of women has not beer
accomplished without great difficulty
The young woman who goes out in the
world to earn her living now, meet:
few of the trials and encouragement:
that hindered every step of the woman
on similar crrand in times within the
memory of many people living, AM
not yet old.
The women who first went to worl
in the United States Treasury Depart
ment as clerks, walked every morning
and afternoon through crowd of jeer
ing laughers, who collected ut thu
doors of the treasury building to SCI
them come and so to and from theil
work.
In Boston when women were frs
introduced into printing offices a!
type-sctters. the printers formed an as
ISOLATION, of which one of the rule.
was that NJ member should work il
any establishment where women were
employed.
There are thousands of unskilled
hands and unframed minds. so many
that really competent man or woman
is of great value in any place he or She
is fitted for.
No time nor opportunity should b.
lost for saying to young women a:
well as young men. learn some one
thing to do. and do it we'll. Make
yourself Indispensable somewhere, and
just, or at least reasonably fair, com
pensatiOn is sure to be yours.
The pccuniary independence o.
women, however moderate might bt
their earnings, if assured to all, would